QUALER: A new Toolbox for Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Human Perceptions

摘要

This paper presents a software aimed at making easier the design of customized products in accordance with consumers' expectations. It is based on a user-centered design methodology which combines techniques provided by Kansei Engineering, Sensory Analysis, and Soft Computing. Consumers' expectations are naturally expressed in the form of vague assessments related to human perceptions. Soft Computing techniques, namely Fuzzy Logic, can assist both Sensory Analysis and Kansei Engineering in the design and customization of products because of: (1) their suitability for computing with perceptions, and (2) their ability to tackle with imprecision and uncertainty in system identification. The utility of the software has been illustrated with a case study related to gin packaging.